Additional Resources

Listed below are additional resources that can help community planners learn more about or implement nature-based solutions. Some of the resources contain information that is much more technical in nature than what’s featured on NRCSolutions.org. This list is by no means comprehensive or complete; if you have a recommendation for an addition to this page, please contact us at info@NRCSolutions.org, and we’ll be glad to consider it.

River/Floodplain-Related

• Natural Infrastructure Report (PDF) – Produced by the World Resources Institute. “Investing in forested landscapes for Water Protection in the U.S.”
• Natural channel and floodplain restoration – USDA NRCS website “about using a combination of fluvial geomorphology, hydraulics, hydrology, and aquatic biologic attributes to accomplish natural channel restoration.”
• Streams and rivers restoration – NOAA Habitat Conservation/Restoration Center information that includes information about assessments, planning, permitting, design, cost and techniques.
• NOAA’s Community-based Restoration Program – Includes information about grants and lists previous recipients and links to many of those projects.
• Natural and Beneficial Floodplain Functions: Floodplain Management-More than Flood Loss Reduction (PDF) – Produced by ASFPM, this document contains information about the natural functions of a floodplain.
• Reconnecting Rivers to Floodplains (PDF) – Produced by American Rivers, this report highlights how floodplain functions are lost through floodplain disconnection and modification and provides a framework from which to consider process-based floodplain restoration using the four attributes of functional floodplains; connectivity, variable flow, spatial scale, and habitat.
• Riverine Erosion Hazards White Paper (PDF) – Produced by ASFPM, this report highlights how structural controls and channelization measures have exacerbated riverine erosion over time and highlights the need for communities to restrict development in erosion-prone areas.
• The Active River Area: A Conservation Approach to Protecting Rivers and Streams (PDF) – Produced by The Nature Conservancy, this report provides a systematic means for protecting the river as a dynamic system with a broad range of conditions that are typical of natural river systems to guide actions for protection, restoration and management.
• The Floodway Encroachment Standard: Minimizing Cumulative Adverse Impacts (PDF) — Produced by ASFPM, this report highlights measures State and local governments have included in their floodplain management regulations to lessen the cumulative impact of encroachments into the floodplain.
• A Strategy to Reduce the Risks and Impacts of Dams on Floodplains (PDF) – Produced by ASFPM, this report includes an analysis of the relationship of dams to the floodplain and recommendations on how to better integrate dams into floodplain management and flood risk reduction activities.
• The online, interactive Floodplain Prioritization Tool is designed to help decision makers prioritize floodplain conservation and restoration investments in the Mississippi River Basin and assess tradeoffs related to water quality, wildlife habitat, flood risk reduction and other goals.

Urban-Related

• Seattle Rain Garden Guide – Coalition website lead by The Nature Conservancy with various tools and resources.
• Bridgeport Eco-Urban Assessment – Case study of eco-urban assessment modeling tool using Esri StoryMap to communicate results. (Scroll down in the left navigation bar to experience this website.)
• Planting Healthy Air Report – A TNC publication reporting benefits of trees to urban communities and associated maps/results.
• Habitat Network – Habitat Network is a citizen science project designed to cultivate a richer understanding of wildlife habitat, for both professional scientists and people concerned with their local environments.
• Daylighting Streams: Breathing Life Into Urban Streams and Communities (PDF) – Produced by American Rivers, this report details strategies for daylighting rivers and streams, including selected case studies.
• Jobs for the Future — Public demand has surged for “green” innovations that make cities more environmentally friendly and more pleasant places to live. JFF examined the workforce needed to keep up with demand for green infrastructure systems and found that projected employment growth provides valuable opportunities for low-income, low-skilled workers to earn competitive wages.
• Field Guide to Conservation in Cities in North America — Produced by TNC and the Center for Whole Communities (CWC).

Coastal/Oceans-Related

• NOAA’s Digital Coast Project – This NOAA-sponsored website is focused on helping communities address coastal issues and has become one of the most-used resources in the coastal management community.
• Adapting Stormwater Management for Coastal Floods — Communities can use this NOAA website to determine how flooding can affect their stormwater systems, and generate a report that can be used for stakeholder education, to inform planning efforts and to make the case for funding.
• “More habitat means more fish” (PDF) brochure – Outlines correlational data between habitat, fish and fishing-related revenue.
• CoastalResilience.org – Coastal Resilience is a program led by TNC to examine nature’s role in reducing coastal flood risk. The program consists of an approach, a web mapping tool, and a network of practitioners around the world supporting hazard mitigation and climate adaptation planning.
• Oyster Restoration Manager’s Guide (PDF) and Online Calculator – The calculator, developed by TNC, uses two key ecosystem services—water filtration and fish production—to provide insight into how ecosystem services can be used to set restoration objectives, in order to answer a critical question of “How much shellfish restoration is enough?” The guide explains the science behind the calculator, and provides examples and case studies.
• TNC’s Guide for Establishing Shellfish Reef Restoration Projects — It provides guidance in decision-making and examples of different approaches by experienced practitioners in a variety of geographic, environmental and social settings. The guide expands on a previous Practitioners Guide for the Design and Monitoring of Shellfish Restoration Projects and capitalizes on improved knowledge.
• Mapping Oceans Wealth – Mapping Ocean Wealth, a resource developed by The Nature Conservancy, delivers scientific information in a clear and useful way to aid decision-makers at the local, national and even international levels to better understand the true value of the ocean environments to our lives. It also includes the Atlas of Ocean Wealth, which is the largest collection to date of information about the economic, social and cultural values of coastal and marine habitats from all over the world.
• Guide for incorporating ecosystem service valuation into coastal restoration projects (PDF) – Produced by TNC.
• NOAA Information on coral reef restoration – Includes information on funding opportunities, threats and the agency’s information system.
• NOAA Information on fish passages – Includes links to guides, examples and hydropower structures.
• NOAA’s Tidal Hydrology Restoration Guide
• Businesses and coastal restoration (RESTORE Act) – This page provides links to reports, government agency websites, fact sheets and other information that can help businesses stay informed about news relating to RESTORE Act implementation and other funding streams for coastal restoration.
• ASFPM’s Managing Coastal Hazard Risks on Wisconsin’s Dynamic Great Lakes Shoreline – This report describes how climate change impacts coastal erosion processes on the Great Lakes and offers guidance on developing coastal setbacks and managing stormwater. The report includes a model coastal erosion hazard model ordinance.
• NOAA Guidance for Considering the Use of Living Shorelines – Guidance provides information on NOAA’s perspective and roles regarding living shorelines implementation.
• Living Shoreline Academy – Created by Restore America’s Estuaries, this website provides property owners and professionals with a variety of information and tools including training modules, professionals directory, maps and literature.
• Living on the Coast: Protecting Investments in Shore Property on the Great Lakes – Co-produced by the US Army Corps of Engineers and University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, this publication describes how to protect coastal investments in the Great Lakes through a series of strategic approaches.
• The Value of Coastal Wetlands for Flood Damage Reduction in the Northeastern USA — This paper is the updated, peer review version of TNC’s work supported by Lloyd’s and SNAPP and co-authors from the insurance industry (RMS and Guy Carpenter Co.).

Miscellaneous/All Encompassing

• Naturally Resilient Communities 2-page fact sheet.
• Procurement Guide to Nature-Based Solutions — Produced by TNC, this guide is designed to provide communities with guidance, recommendations and best practices for drafting RFPs that empower consultants to identify creative, nature-based approaches for a myriad of challenges, particularly flood and stormwater management.
• TNC-produced Community Incentives for Nature-Based Flood Solutions: A guide to FEMA’s community rating system for conservation practitioners to help bridge the gap between conservation and flood risk reduction.
• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering with Nature is an atlas that includes a collection of 56 projects that illustrate a diverse portfolio of contexts, motivations, and successful outcomes.
• A Path to a Safe and Sustainable Future: Mainstreaming Nature-Based Approaches in Flood Risk Management — Produced by Deltares USA, the A. James Clark School of Engineering and The Nature Conservancy, this document presents a big-picture case for the use of nature-bases solutions from a global perspective.
• Conservation Gateway – TNC’s Conservation Gateway is a website for the conservation practitioner, scientist and decision-maker. It includes best practices and most up-to-date information used to inform the Conservancy’s work.
• Using Natural Infrastructure to Build Resilient to Climate Change – A report by the Resources for the Future.
• The Assoc. of State Floodplain Mgr’s 2020 Flood Mapping for the Nation: A cost analysis for completing and maintaining the nation’s NFIP flood map inventory
• U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit – Managed by NOAA’s Climate Program Office, the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit is a website designed to help people find and use tools, information, and subject matter expertise to build climate resilience. The Toolkit offers information from all across the U.S. federal government in one easy-to-use location. It includes case studies, tools, links to experts, training courses and reports.
• Mitigation Matters: Policy Solutions to Reduce Local Flood Risks, from Pew Charitable Trusts. (Overview & full report.)
• Restoring Natural Infrastructure Report – Produced by Caterpillar Inc.
• Natural Infrastructure for Guide for Business – The Natural Infrastructure for Business platform developed by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development(WBCSD), CH2M (with support from TNC), and other member companies is designed to introduce business leaders and practitioners to natural infrastructure.
• ASFPM No Adverse Impact How-To Guide for Infrastructure – This guide contains a section on natural or green infrastructure along with tips and tools.
• ASFPM No Adverse Impact How-To Guide for Mitigation – This guide includes sections on acquisition and relocation of floodprone buildings, waterway restoration through dam removal and non-structural erosion control and shoreline stabilization.
• EPA’s Ecosystem Protection Strategies for Climate Change – A wide ranging resource covering strategies from a strategy perspective and a climate risk perspective.
• See claim data regarding the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) online here.

Important Contacts

• State Floodplain Managers Contact List – Most states have a designated state floodplain manager who may be able to provide guidance and support